Large signs up indicating that next Saturday (26-Sept-2015) at 7AM, 90th & Maple will be closed. Anyone know how long it will be closed? I would assume a week or so, if they are ripping out/repouring the entire intersection, which is the only real reason I can think of for closing the entire intersection for an extended period of time.

I can't wait until it's done. I'm sure it will be nice, but especially with the storm drain work being done on Blondo, getting E/W on Maple or Blondo has been a major pain the last few months.

The signs seem to indicate the entire intersection. Maybe it's trying to say 90th @ Maple is closing, but it sure reads like it's the whole intersection. And since the intersection has been lane restricted since I think March, it doesn't make sense that they'd trundle out the big message board signs just for another lane restriction.

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Just saw [url="http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/north-th-street-to-close-for-month/article_6c92b100-6044-11e5-b757-6b303789074b.html"]this story in the OWH[/url] which basically says Maple will be closed for two days at the 90th & Maple intersection.

This intersection construction has started to remind me of when Fort St was torn up between 108th and 120th. I drive passed here only once or twice a week but it seemed like for three straight weeks nothing was being done except the equipment was gathering dust and rust.

I thought they had been re-pouring the intersection in parts as they went in, I have to wonder if there closing it to put in a cantilever style traffic signals like the ones at 72nd and Dodge, had me wondering becasue the electrical company I work for drilled holes for light bases but only on two corners

Turtle9160 wrote:I thought they had been re-pouring the intersection in parts as they went in, I have to wonder if there closing it to put in a cantilever style traffic signals like the ones at 72nd and Dodge, had me wondering becasue the electrical company I work for drilled holes for light bases but only on two corners

That's most likely the type of light going in at that intersection. They like putting those at major intersections. I wonder - are these lights as common in other cities?

That's most likely the type of light going in at that intersection. They like putting those at major intersections. I wonder - are these lights as common in other cities?[/quote]

With the types of foundations and the layout of them they drilled I am betting it is, not sure why they would put them up a location like 90th & Maple though, along 72nd it made sense since the street is 6 lanes plus double left turns. Only other city I have seen them be more common is Cheyenne, other then that they don't seem very common at all

As I understand it, new installations at intersections with significantly variable traffic patterns (Maple has lots of traffic east and 90th lots south weekday mornings and the reverse weekday evenings with 'non-peak' times not seeing that same pattern) are going to the single cantilever style since you only need one controller for the lights/sensors instead of four controllers in each pole that all have to talk to each other. Much easier to handle all of the communication and traffic flow logic in one box then having to coordinate all four.

I once had a traffic engineer tell me about how they had to get the phone company to come out and put in a special exchange at a corner for the traffic lights since the lights talked to each other over the telephone network, since that corner was at the end of the tree for 4 separate exchanges and the lights basically were getting busy signals when trying to talk to each other. It didn't sound like a very common situation, but still explains why you'd have the single run for all your lights.

Original wrote:Well, lights are going up at 90th and Maple today, and there are four traditional poles at each corner. I guess I shouldn't believe what I read or hear about traffic engineering.

I wouldn't say that, I was just thinking they might have been the cantilever ones, and the closing of the intersection. Good to know there a more traditional 4 poles, I honestly don't much care for them outside of the ones along 72nd lol

WB Maple is now restricted to no south-bound turns onto 90th, but both WB lanes are open. EB is still restricted to one lane, no NB turns onto 90th. 90th is flowing one lane N/S on separate sides, but I think is restricted to no WB turns from NB, and no EB turns from SB.

Basically, you can't turn left at 90th and Maple, and unless you are westbound on Maple, probably still a good idea to figure out how to avoid the area.

This morning, they were pouring what looked like the final parts of the sidewalks (the crosswalk ramps), and it looks, to this untrained eye bouncing through at 35, mostly done. I bet the intersection is reopened by the end of the month.

Well, this morning, it's open all directions, except... Eastbound Maple. It sure looks like there is a low spot on the SE corner with standing water that they will have to fix before it can be totally open.

In what is a continuing frustration, 90th and Maple is still one-lane eastbound on Maple, but is open all other directions. I suspect that is is related to the low-spot in the right hand turn lane, but I have no proof.

Either way, I think they need consider starting to fine the contractor. There has been no apparent movement to fix the problem, and I can't imagine that having a construction zone so that Maple backs up 1/4 of a mile in the winter, with a non-accessible turn lane, is a good thing.

Original wrote:Either way, I think they need consider starting to fine the contractor. There has been no apparent movement to fix the problem, and I can't imagine that having a construction zone so that Maple backs up 1/4 of a mile in the winter, with a non-accessible turn lane, is a good thing.

The story on the news says the city is going to pay to fix the low spot.

After your comment, I found a similar (maybe the same) news story on WOWT. It's a little mollifying to know that they had planned to use some of the existing sections, causing the issue, but only a little. They did enough reconstruction at that intersection that I am surprised they didn't completely repave the sections where new and old concrete would meet. I wonder what the cost difference was, and if it just got eaten in reconstruction costs?

Because I apparently feel the need to keep the entire community updated on this, they ripped out the mis-matching panels yesterday and are pouring new concrete this morning. Hopefully this intersection is open in the next week or so.